hey there! i'm tencow, creator of https://tapas.io/series/TOMATO-NO-BASKET
i'm here to share with you guys some random tips on how to build an easily recognizable and unique character.
First off, here is a short reel from my comic, showing off the characters Tomato (panels 1,3,4) and Hippo (panels 1,4)
WORLD BUILDING INTEGRITY
Tomato No Basket is by no means the epitome of having unique characters, and uses one of the easiest means of projecting them colorfully (even though its drawn in black and white)- through appearance. there are no human characters in the comic, instantly creating a world where it is possible for me, as the artist, to build quirky characters using fruits, vegetables and phallic shapes.
Using exaggerated features, or incorporating elements is an easy way to make someone stand out in your roster of characters. You could give extremely slanted eyes to your vampire, or unique tattoos on your main dood, or give him a vegetable for a head.
This is, of course, a rare event where the creator is willing to forfeit realism and open up the universe they have set their story in to a new set of possibilities. If a character were to have horns, for example, in an otherwise realistic setting, in a realistic story where there is continuation to anything related to the character's supernatural appearance, then the character will stand out for the wrong reasons ! Sure, your audience will immediately be able to recognize him, but he will be in an inappropriate setting, which could distract readers and question the integrity of your world.
TLDR- if you want to make weird characters, make sure they belong in your world
THE SILHOUETTE TEST AND HAIR TOO I GUESS
the silhouette test (as i call it haha cool name right) is a great way to tell if your characters are distinguishable from each other. If you were to see their shadows, would you be able to tell them apart? this could be very important for comics that have two or more main characters. for example, in the anime/manga COWBOY BEPOP, the main characters spike and jet black stand out from each other (which can be seen from the anime's opening) by their head's silhouette alone. spike has, well, spiky hair which moves upwards, while jet's weird sideburns-beard thing moves to the sides. movement of hair is a neat way of setting characters apart.
two identical faces could look really different if they have different hairstyles that move differently. one could have brushed-up hair (which moves upwards when facing forwards, and opposite where the character is facing when facing sideways), while the other could have his/her hair down (which moves downwards). the dynamic positioning of their hairstyles could make these characters, who have the same face, stand out from each other (perfect for creating twins).
additionally, the posture, physique, height are factors you should play with, and not copy paste onto multiple characters.
TLDR- make characters stand out by using their silhouettes as reference
SUBTLETY IS KEY
"wow this guy makes characters that look like dicks and he's preaching about subtlety what a meme"
yes, and shut up.
subtlety IS VERY IMPORTANT. yes, making a quirky character is fun and all, but you don't want to make him or her too extravagant. it could jeopardize the balance of the rest of your comic cast, who might start looking dull and bland when compared to BIG MAN, who could probably enter a drag race with all the accessories you got on him. you have to make sure that while every character in your roster is unique, they do not stand out to the point where it is very obvious that they are your main character, as it will take away the focus from your support characters. that's why, even though tomato is a tomato-head freak, and stands out alone, he does not take away the attention from the other characters as his outfit is simple (also, you should create a wardrobe for your characters and change their outfits regularly, because c'mon.)
"well what if i want to make my entire cast extremely glittered up?"
^that is a video of two Future songs playing at once. now imagine that, but in visual form. that would be how your panels might start looking, if your characters become too flashy. it will also become extremely tedious for you to have to draw in every detail on their outfits. Keep things simple, especially if you're an independent creator, or balance out your crew if you want to be more glamorous.
TLDR- don't over-accessorize your characters as it could steal attention from others, and become a bitch of a time to draw
TLDR OF TLDRS: i don't know what i'm writing
1- make sure your characters belong to the setting, do not incorporate designs in purely for aesthetic
2- make characters stand out with movement and posturing
3- don't overdo it
as a reference to what i've just said, Tomato and Hippo are characters that fit into their world, and have different body types, head shapes and facial structures. they wear simplistic clothing, which is fine because the focus on their characters revolve around their heads. in the last panel, tomato and hippo both share equal attention from the readers as, although hippo is in the background, his exaggerated expression makes sure that he gets some spotlight too
ok tell me if this helps or tell me if this is shit i'd love to hear it from you guys peace <3